South Africa Announces Temporary Withdrawal From G20 Meetings

South Africa announced Monday that it will temporarily withdraw from G-20 engagements while the United States holds the presidency, a move that South African officials called a pause rather than a permanent exit and that analysts say could dent Africa’s voice in the world’s most powerful economic forum. The withdrawal follows a sharp deterioration in ties after U.S. President Donald Trump declined to attend the 2025 G-20 summit in South Africa and publicly accused Pretoria of pursuing policies hostile to American interests.…

Zimbabwean Pastor Walter Magaya Charged with Four Counts of Rape

Prophetic Healing and Deliverance leader Walter Magaya appeared before the Harare Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday to face four counts of rape, and the matter was remanded to Feb. 16, 2026, for a trial scheduled to run through Feb. 19, 2026. The State alleges that in June 2020 Magaya offered a 24-year-old woman a voluntary position at the PHD call centre and later invited her to what she believed was a Bible study session. According to the prosecution, the woman was lured to a church-owned hotel and raped in July 2020. The…

Regional Emergency Teams Reach Flood-Stricken Communities Across Mozambique

Southern African Development Community emergency response teams have arrived in Mozambique after heavy rains caused deadly floods that have submerged entire villages and left large areas inaccessible, officials said. The teams were deployed following the Mozambican government's Red Alert declaration on Jan. 16, and are concentrating on the worst-hit districts of Gaza Province, where floodwaters have reached levels that local authorities say are unprecedented. Roads, public facilities and other critical infrastructure have…

Zimbabwe’s Opposition Chief Nelson Chamisa Stages Political Comeback

Nelson Chamisa, the former leader of the Citizens Coalition for Change, has announced his return to frontline politics in Zimbabwe, issuing a sweeping indictment of the country’s governance and calling for a “fresh start” to address what he described as a worsening political, economic and social crisis. In a lengthy statement released Friday, Chamisa accused the current administration of presiding over a legitimacy crisis marked by disputed elections, rigged polls, corruption, state capture and political intolerance. He…

Mozambique hit by renewed heavy rains as flooding intensifies

Mozambique floods: UNICEF warns “deadly threat” to children as rains swell rivers Maputo, Mozambique — Severe flooding sweeping southern and central Mozambique poses a “deadly threat” to children, the U.N. children’s agency warned Monday, as heavy rain and rising rivers strain already swollen dam systems and authorities brace for more water to arrive from neighbouring countries. UNICEF’s warning comes as rescue and relief needs grow in parts of the country hit by what local media described as floods as severe as those…

Former President Chakwera Accuses Malawi Government of Political Persecution

Former President Lazarus Chakwera accused his successor, Peter Mutharika, on Thursday of overseeing a campaign of intimidation and “unlawful arrests, and the abuse of due process” aimed at silencing opposition figures, calling the pattern a “dangerous collapse” of the rule of law. In a formal statement, Chakwera said he has notified President Mutharika of what he described as politically motivated actions against leaders of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP). “This includes individuals whose only crime is exercising their…

South African Taxi Crash Kills More Than a Dozen Children

South African officials say the school taxi driver involved in the Vanderbijlpark crash did not have a valid operating licence, authorities announced Wednesday. The disclosure, made by provincial transport officials, raises immediate questions about the legal status of the vehicle and the oversight of school transport in the area. Officials did not provide further details about the driver’s identity, the nature or severity of casualties, or exactly when the licence lapsed. Vanderbijlpark, an industrial city in Gauteng…

Senegal Declares Nationwide Holiday After AFCON 2026 Triumph

Senegal erupted in celebration after a dramatic, controversy-flecked final in which the Teranga Lions edged hosts Morocco 1-0 after extra time. President Bassirou Diomaye Faye moved quickly to declare a public holiday, turning a late-night sporting triumph into a national moment of pride and communal relief. The match — described by observers as one of the most explosive finals in African football — produced raw emotion on the pitch and on the streets. While details of the controversy have drawn intense attention, it was…

South African Army Mobilizes to Assist Flood Rescue Efforts in Limpopo

Search-and-rescue teams from the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) have launched an emergency operation after heavy downpours and rising water levels caused severe flooding in the South African province of Limpopo, officials said Friday. The floods have killed 19 people and caused widespread destruction of homes, businesses and critical infrastructure, authorities reported. President Cyril Ramaphosa, who inspected flood damage in the area, described what he saw as "catastrophic." The South African Weather…

WHO pushes for steeper levies on sugary drinks and alcohol to curb illnesses

The World Health Organization on Wednesday warned that the widespread availability of inexpensive sugary drinks and alcohol is driving avoidable illness and deaths and straining health systems around the world, with low- and middle-income countries in Africa among the most exposed. In two new reports accompanying the agency’s statement, WHO officials said weak tax systems that fail to raise prices on harmful products leave them affordable and fuel a growing tide of noncommunicable diseases. "By increasing taxes on products…